T-Mobile Launches GSM/802.11 Phone In Germany

prostoalex writes "German subscibers of T-Mobile can now get a hybrid PDA phone that supports both GSM and WiFi wireless networks. The new Mobile Digital Assistant (pretty pictures) will connect to cellular and wireless hotspots built by T-Mobile as well as any 802.11a/g Wireless LANs."

Comments

From the article:

[Senator Bozo]

The MDA III supports GSM and Wi-Fi, and includes a retractable QWERTY keyboard that slips within the device when not in use

Seeing how this thing will be sold in Germany, shouldn't it be a QWERTZ keyboard, or are they trying to irritate their customers? If it is a QWERTY, does it have Umlauts?

Re:Lan capability?

[Zone-MR]

Depends what you mean "access your phone". You can connect to it, copy files, synchronise contacts/emails/etc.

Another potential use would be streaming MP3's from your home computer so you can walk around the house listening to them on your XDA.

Basically anything you write software. I've written a util for my XDAII which connects to my home server over GPRS, and links in with my home automation. So regardless of where I am, I am instantly alerted when someone approaches the house, presses the doorbell, etc. One click and I can stream the video from a small driveway camera, and another click and I can open the door/turn lights on/whatever.

Wrong links

[Mr_Silver]

The links are all wrong.

The article talks about the MDA III yet the photos show an MDA I and II which have been out for ages and a reasonable amount of time respectivily. The most noticable thing about the MDA III is that it has an integrated sliding keyboard.

Photos of the MDA III can be found here.

I have one in my desk drawer and although I haven't had a proper play with it, it's rather heavy, thick and the back is made of cheap feeling black plastic. The OS is Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition.

However it does come with an impressive line up of software - fonix voice apps, album, clearvue pdf, enroller, clearvue ppt, kse truefax, midlet manager, photo contacts, video mms and xBackup to name a few.

Re:Dvorak

[tarunthegreat2]

"Frankly, I don't know what's coming next, but we're all gonna need smaller fingers, for sure!" - Jeff Bezos, on being asked to predict future technological trends - June 2000

WiFi on a phone - I never thought I'd see this...

[ncw]

WiFi on your phone/PDA is the obvious next step, but I never thought it would happen because WiFi threatens all the major revenue earning modes of the mobile phone companies.

The threats are VOIP and IM. It doesn't look like this phone supports VOIP natively, but there is plenty of code which does on that platform. IM threatens the insanely lucrative SMS revenue and the major users of SMS (ie teenagers) are already using IM.

I guess since T-Mobile have a big stake in WiFi access points they can afford to produce a product like this, unlike their competitors which don't and can't. We'll see!